All decisions made by the judges are final. New Mexico Magazine shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion.

Finalists will be selected on or about Nov. 13 and notified by email to request high resolution files for publication.

The New Mexico Magazine Photo Contest is about presenting the beauty of New Mexico through photographs of its people and places. It is open to anyone with a keen eye for capturing the essence of our enchanted land. It is an amateur contest in the best sense, and not open to professionals who derive more than 50% of their income from photography.

Digital photography has changed the way in which images can be made. Our contest is about the simple statement of your lens. Yes, you can darken, lighten and enhance the color in your photographs. You can change contrast, burn and dodge your images, and convert them to black and white. You can use digital software to enhance texture, clarity, ambience, and mood to further engage the viewer.

However, our contest is not about presenting fictionalized images—those photographs that are created by the addition of pieces from other images or the combination of several photographs, or enhanced in such a way that the image appears outside of reality. New Mexico is already so incredibly beautiful that we consider this type of image-making contrary to the spirit of this contest.

Who Can Enter

With the following exceptions, anyone can enter the New Mexico Magazine Photo Contest: Photographers who derive more than 50% their annual income from photography; employees of New Mexico Magazine, the New Mexico Tourism Department, and prize sponsors may not enter.
By submitting images to the contest, photographers grant New Mexico Magazine and all other sponsors the right to publish the images in their publications, websites, email newsletters and any promotional material (i.e. press releases or advertising) without payment.

Categories

You may submit up to 10 images. A Grand Prize will be awarded to the best overall entry for the quality of the body of work submitted. First, second, and third prizes will be awarded in each of the following categories:

1. Landscapes: Our epic land, including waterscapes and weather.
2. Only in New Mexico: Architecture, events, icons of New Mexico that express the uniqueness of our state.
3. People: Portraits, people at work and play.
4. Animals: all creatures great and small.
5. Details: A closer focus on New Mexico life.